Undefeated Huskies Are `Not Unbeatable'

SAN ANTONIO — UConn has played for a place in women's basketball history all season. One more win and the Huskies will have just that.

Tonight's championship game between Connecticut and Oklahoma pits an over-hyped machine of a team against a program that has never been here before.

The Huskies have been No. 1 since the preseason, and it's easy to see why. They have dispatched every team on the schedule in methodical fashion, including these Sooners in a December matchup 86-72.

All signs seemingly point to a UConn victory.

"Your dream is to win a championship," UConn center Asjha Jones said. "That's the ultimate. We have that chance right now."

The Huskies have received all the media attention because of what they have accomplished so far this season. Only three other teams have finished undefeated, and no one has defeated opponents by a larger margin of victory (36.1 points per game).

But the Sooners are confident they can play with and defeat UConn.

"You look around and it's UConn, UConn, UConn," guard LaNeisha Caufield said. "I think it's good, because when teams get to that point they feel a little pressure. We have nothing to lose. We are not intimidated."

Added Oklahoma forward Jamie Talbert: "Connecticut is not superhuman. They're a great team, but they're not unbeatable."

Both teams have excellent guards, and this is the premier matchup in the game. Stacey Dales, Rosalind Ross and Caufield all provide senior leadership and tons of scoring for Oklahoma, while UConn's Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi are also difficult to guard.

"The two best backcourts are playing against each other, and that's neat because it doesn't always work out that way," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said.

There are some interesting links between the two teams. Aside from relying on guards and an up-tempo style, Oklahoma is on the rise, with the goal of achieving what UConn already has become.

Auriemma can take a lot of the credit, considering he threw his support behind Sherri Coale when the Oklahoma job came open in 1996. The two became friends while Coale was a high school coach in Norman, Okla.

Many detractors thought she would not have success because she had no collegiate coaching experience. Six years later, Coale is in the Final Four, and she has said without Auriemma, she would not be where she is today.

Auriemma is impressed with how quickly Coale has been able to turn around the Sooners' program.

"Sherri Coale is in the absolute perfect situation to build at Oklahoma exactly what Tennessee and Connecticut have done," Auriemma said. "She's the right coach. She's at a big-time university. They've got a great academic institution. They have a huge recruiting base in the Southwest.

"If her teams continue to be like they are today, fun to watch, really good, shoot the 3, run up and down, play with the passion and intensity they play with, the media will be there."

Making the Final Four should help Coale continue building her program. Winning a championship would mean even more.

But it will be an extremely difficult task to beat the Huskies. In the December meeting, UConn won by 14 points, even though Taurasi was in foul trouble for most of the first half. Auriemma believes the Sooners have matured since that game and have learned to turn to others if Dales does not have a dominant game.

Coale also has watched tape, but that does not give additional clues about what Oklahoma should do differently.

"Geno doesn't have any secrets," Coale said. "We know what he's going to do, so what? Can we do something about it when they decide to do it? I'm very familiar with the way they play. The most important thing about our December meeting is the fact that we've been on the floor with them and we've been in the game with them."

Being in the game won't be enough, especially since the powerful Huskies are so determined to become a part of the sport's history.

"You have to take the floor and make sure the mystique doesn't beat you, make the players beat you," Coale said.